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What is Habitat?

Habitat is home. It is where there is shelter and safety, where there is a suitable food and water supply, where there are associated plants and animals. Habitat is space which is special to and fits a particular species, for example rock wallabies live in areas with terraced cliffs. A healthy habitat will not be overpopulated, having its food, water and shelter resources depleted. Each species fits their habitat. The bilby, gecko and scorpion escape desert heat by being nocturnal, the Tarrkawarra (spinifex hopping mouse) goes underground. Ducks fly in only after heavy rains.

Each habitat has its particular "furniture". Boulders, caverns, spiky spinifex tussocks, hollow logs, tree hollows, loose bark and termite mounds are some desert furniture. Most species fit their habitat so well that sudden changes to the habitat can threaten a species existence.

Not all features of habitat are of equal importance. There are critical factors such as water supply and food. Sometimes human use of country can benefit or threaten a species. The red kangaroo is now in far larger numbers than in 1800 because a vast number of watering places have been added by pastoralists. The introduction of foxes from Europe for sport hunting has had a disastrous effect on many rabbit-sized native species. The habitat had a major predator added. Its space was less safe. There had always been local catastrophes but in the past there was generally unaffected habitat from which recolonisation could take place.